A Story of Midlife, Hope, and a Manga That Helped Me Begin Again
🕐 Estimated reading time: about 6 minutes
⛳ Purpose
This blog post explores what we can still do — even when time is limited — through the lens of the manga Thank You Pitch.
As a man in his 50s, I found myself deeply moved by a story about a pitcher who can only throw three balls a day. It reminded me that, even with fewer chances left in life, there’s still meaning in throwing just one more.
I hope this reflection offers encouragement to those who feel like they’re running out of time or options — especially those who think, “Maybe it’s too late for me.”
📝 Introduction
Recently, I came across a manga called Thank You Pitch.
Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much.
“Probably just another sports story about some talented young guy,” I thought.
But I was wrong.
The main character, Kiriyama Fuse, can only throw three pitches a day.
He hurt his elbow back in middle school, and now that’s all he’s got.
Even so, he still takes the mound — with everything he’s got — and throws those three pitches for his team.
And somewhere along the way, I started seeing myself in him.
I can’t push like I used to. My body’s slower. My mind doesn’t recover as fast.
I’ve started to wonder:
How many more times will I get to go all in on something?
But even now, I realize — deep down — I still want to throw.
Maybe not like before, but still… I want to reach someone.
🟦 Chapter 1: Why We Can Still Stand — Even If We’re No Longer Perfect
Kiriyama Fuse isn’t a “complete” pitcher anymore.
He can only throw three pitches a day — the damage from his youth never fully healed.
He’s not as strong or precise as he used to be.
But still, he gets on the mound and throws with everything he’s got.
What struck me most wasn’t what he lost — but how seriously he faces what he can still do.
When I was younger, I felt like I had to wait until everything was ready before I did anything.
I was scared to act without confidence.
Ashamed to show up without being fully prepared.
Nobody told me that directly — but the world around me seemed to say:
“Don’t mess up.”
“If you fail, there’s no coming back.”
So I kept putting things off.
Waiting until I got better.
Until I felt more “ready.”
And in the meantime… I missed some chances. Probably more than I’d like to admit.
But recently, I’ve started thinking:
“It doesn’t have to be perfect. Just start.”
You fix things after you start. You learn while you move forward.
That’s way better than standing still.
Kiriyama does the same.
He’s not in perfect shape. He has only three pitches.
But he still gets on that mound and gives it all he’s got — with the version of himself that exists now.
We grew up in a time when society made it hard to try.
Make a mistake? You’d get scolded.
Stand out? You’d get smacked down.
But things are different now.
And if we wait until we’re perfect, we’ll wait forever.
That’s why I want to throw.
Even if I mess it up. Even if I fall short.
The act of throwing — that still means something.
Having only three pitches left…
That just means each one matters even more.
So I stand up — even if I’m not perfect anymore.
🟦 Chapter 2: This Isn’t a Do-Over — It’s Me, Throwing as I Am Now
Kiriyama got back on the mound because he felt like someone still needed him.
I think it was Captain Kohori’s words that lit that fire in him.
And I… I kinda saw myself in that moment too.
Though in my case, it wasn’t as noble as wanting to help someone.
If I’m honest — I just wanted to try something again. That’s all.
Now that I’m in my 50s, time feels faster.
How many years do I really have left in good health?
Even if I stay healthy, how many years can I move freely and live fully?
When I thought about that, Kiriyama’s “only three pitches a day” hit me hard.
It made me wonder if maybe I only have “three pitches” left too —
Three chances to really put my heart into something.
And that’s why I didn’t want to waste them.
If I’m gonna throw, I want to do it properly — in my own way.
No one’s forcing me.
No one’s calling my name.
But inside, I felt it — I wanted to move again.
Not to rewrite the past.
Not because it’s too late or too soon.
But just because… this is where I am.
And from here, I want to throw something out into the world.
It’s not about going back.
It’s not a do-over.
It’s me, now, choosing to throw — with everything I’ve got left.
And honestly, that’s enough.
🟦 Chapter 3: One Pitch, One Heart — It’s Not About How Much, But What’s Inside
Kiriyama can only throw three pitches a day.
But those few throws — they change the flow of the entire game.
And honestly, that hit me right in the heart.
It’s not about how much you do.
It’s about what you put into it.
When I started blogging, I thought,
“No one’s going to read this anyway.”
The numbers were low.
There were barely any reactions.
Still… I kept writing.
Even if it reached just one person — that would be enough.
Even if I had only “three pitches” left,
If I could throw them with everything I’ve got, that would mean something.
These days, social media makes it feel like you have to post all the time.
That more content equals more value.
That going viral means you matter.
But maybe the truth is this:
One heartfelt message can change someone.
Just like Kiriyama’s fastball shifted the mood of the whole team.
His teammates looked at him differently after those three pitches.
Their eyes changed.
Their hearts changed.
And maybe… I want to do the same.
With words.
I want to write blog posts that feel like my pitch.
Even if the writing is rough. Even if it’s imperfect.
What matters is that I showed up,
That I faced the plate,
And I threw with all my heart.
I don’t have unlimited throws left.
So each one counts more than ever.
Because when you know you only have three pitches left…
Every. Single. One.
Becomes powerful.
🟨 Chapter 4: The Words That Got Me to Stand Again
I once heard something on YouTube.
“At first, nothing goes right. That’s normal.
But you learn. You get a little better.
And little by little, things begin to take shape.”
I don’t remember exactly how it was said,
But that message stuck with me —
Like it was meant just for me.
Out of all the noise online,
those words reached me.
They moved something in me.
Like how Captain Kohori said to Kiriyama,
“Come pitch for our team.”
That simple sentence brought him back to the mound.
No one actually said those words to me.
But I heard them.
And I felt it —
Maybe I could try again.
Of course, the choice to move was my own.
But I know this:
Someone’s words gave me the courage to take that step.
Before that, I kept telling myself:
“No one needs me.”
“I’ll probably fail again.”
And so, I did nothing.
Days passed.
But nothing changed — because I didn’t move.
That’s what I wanted to stop.
Even if I’ve only got three pitches left,
Even if no one’s watching or cheering —
If I want to try again,
Then that’s enough.
That’s my mound.
🟦 Chapter 5: Today, I Threw One More Pitch
Not every day feels good.
Sometimes I feel like I’m getting nowhere.
Sometimes no one responds, no one sees.
But today, I wrote a blog post.
Just one more quiet pitch.
And maybe — that’s enough.
If it lands softly somewhere in someone’s heart,
If someone reads it and thinks,
“Oh… there’s someone like that out there,”
Then I’ve done what I needed to do.
There was a time I felt like I had nothing.
That I wasn’t useful. That I had no value.
But then, one line on YouTube stuck with me:
“You won’t get it right at first. But you learn.
Bit by bit, you move forward.”
That line soaked into me.
Not like a shout, but like a gentle warmth.
And I thought:
“Okay… maybe I’ll just throw one more.”
Not for anyone else.
But if this blog — if these words —
become that kind of voice for someone else someday,
then I’m glad I threw it.
Just one pitch.
But one with everything I’ve got today.
🟧 Conclusion: What Will You Put Into Your Last Three Pitches?
To be honest, I started blogging because it seemed like an easy side hustle.
But before I knew it, it became a way to face myself.
As I kept writing, I realized something:
Even just one pitch — if thrown with care — might reach someone.
Especially someone like the old me, standing still and unsure.
You don’t have to be perfect.
You don’t need big results.
You just need to throw what you can — right now.
Sometimes I still wonder:
“Why am I even doing this?”
“Where is this going?”
But even with those doubts,
I threw one more pitch today.
And if you’re standing at the edge of something,
Thinking,
“Maybe I want to try, but I’m not sure…”
Then this blog post — this pitch —
is for you.
You don’t have to catch it.
You don’t even have to respond.
Just know:
Someone out here threw it — quietly, but sincerely — in your direction.
”You might also like”
🔸 “Even If I Never Watched It, Bocchi the Rock Made Me Cry — A Story from a 50s Loner”
A story about taking a small step forward, even when you feel like a nobody.
🔸 “Is This Really It?” — Why I Decided to Take Action in My 50s
Doubt, hesitation — and the day I chose to move anyway.
🔸 “Why I Kept Reapplying for AdSense — Even After Failing Again and Again”
Because sometimes, just throwing one more pitch — even after failure — still matters.
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